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Jazmine Sullivan says her Grammy win is a win for Black women everywhere

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

R&B superstar Jazmine Sullivan has been creating real, soul-touching music for over a decade. And while Grammy recognition for the star’s undeniable body of work finally came Sunday night, Sullivan’s championing of Black women through her music is something she’s particularly proud of.

“Shout-out to Black women who are out there living their lives and being beautiful,” she said as she accepted the award for Best R&B album, for Heaux Tales.

The Philadelphia native was first nominated for a Grammy back in 2009 and in 11 nominations thereafter, she hadn’t won. That all changed on Sunday night, when Sullivan took home two awards, including Best R&B Performance for “Pick Up Your Feelings,” from Heaux Tales.

“The project became so much more than just my own kind of catharsis for the things that I was going through, it became a really a safe place for Black women,” Sullivan told reporters after winning. “This project has just done so much for us to kind of come together and just share our stories and not be ashamed about the things that we went through.”

With Heaux Tales, and the many chart-topping tracks that preceded the album, the powerhouse singer was intentional about telling stories of Black women and their experiences. The new Grammy winner said she’s “blessed” that the project, which served as an outlet for her friends and family to share personal anecdotes about love, relationships, money, and everything in between, resonated well with the Black community.

Since Sunday night’s win, Black women all over have celebrated and cheered for the star. One person on Twitter wrote, “HEAUX TALES JUST GOT THAT GRAMMY BABY, BLACK WOMEN—and specifically Jazmine Sullivan—FOR THE WIN!!! Nature is healing #GRAMMYs.”

Shawn Mendes says he is rebuilding his trust in people after Camila Cabello split

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Shawn Mendes provided a glimpse of how he’s healing from his breakup from girlfriend Camila Cabello and says he is learning to “trust people” again.

Speaking to SiriusXM, the Grammy winner shared advice on how someone can heal a broken heart and return to life without needing their other half.

Shawn said he is moving on by “giving myself a lot of grace and not being too hard on myself about the feelings and the spikes of ‘I’m good’ and spikes of ‘I’m not good.'” He continued, “A big one for me was realizing that there’s so many people in my life that I can rely on.”

“I don’t just have to put all of my hardship onto one person,” Shawn said, adding it was “a huge thing” for him. “It was learning how to trust my friends again. Learning how to trust my family. Learning how to trust people around me in my life instead of just calling one person — I had, now, six people I could call.”

Shawn said he also had to take a “lot of deep breaths and telling myself, ‘You’re good, man,'” so he could “be a stabilizing force for myself.”

The “It’ll Be Okay” singer said one needs to combine both of these practices when overcoming a broken heart, warning, “You can’t just isolate yourself and be like, ‘I’m gonna deal with this on my own’ because that’ll eventually come back around and get you.”

Shawn and Camila dated for two years before announcing in November that they were going their separate ways. Both have since issued songs believed to be about their breakup.

Wolfgang Van Halen reflects on the Grammys: “What a wild experience”

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Wolfgang Van Halen didn’t win a Grammy trophy Sunday, but he did go home with some great memories.

In an Instagram post, the Mammoth WVH reflects on his “wild experience” during ”Music’s Biggest Night,’ alongside a photo of him at the ceremony with his mother, actor Valerie Bertinelli, and his girlfriend.

“We came, we saw, but we did NOT conquer and that’s OK!” Wolf writes in the caption. “I got to have a wonderful night with the two most important women in my world.”

Wolf’s track “Distance” — which was released as his debut Mammoth WVH single in honor of his late father, the iconic Eddie Van Halen — was nominated for Best Rock Song, but it lost out to “Waiting on a War” by Foo Fighters. Other nominees included songs by Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon and Weezer.

“Such an honor to be nominated for the first song I ever released on my own, in a category with artists I’ve looked up to my entire life,” Wolf writes. “I don’t know if that’ll ever fully set in.”

He adds, “Pop didn’t win the first time he was nominated too, so it looks like I’m following in his footsteps quite nicely.”

Eddie’s first Grammy nomination came during the 1985 ceremony, where Van Halen‘s “Jump” was up for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. He was also nominated that year for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for his song “Donut City.” Eddie and Van Halen would eventually win their first — and only — Grammy in 1992 in the Best Hard Rock Performance category, for For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

“Who knows what the future holds,” Wolf says. “All I know is I’m feeling pretty damn grateful. What a wild experience this was.”

Walt Disney World Resort to be powered up to 40% by the sun

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — The Walt Disney World Resort is adding two 75-megawatt solar arrays to its renewable energy portfolio that, combined with existing infrastructure, will provide 40% of the park’s electricity.

The announcement comes at a time when energy prices across the country, coupled with record-high inflation, are soaring and climate change is pressuring consumers to reduce emissions.

“This latest step will help us further accomplish our goal of net zero emissions by 2030,” Jeff Vahle, president of the Walt Disney World Resort, told ABC News. “Our commitment to the environment goes beyond imagining a brighter, more sustainable future by putting possibility into practice to ensure a happier, healthier planet for all.”

The Walt Disney World Resort currently has two solar arrays, including one shaped like a giant Mickey, that generate a total of 55-megawatts of solar power and provide 10% of the park’s energy.

The two new solar installations won’t be located on park property; they will be built in Gilchrist and Polk Counties, covering more than 1,000 acres. Both are expected to come online by early 2023. By placing the solar facilities elsewhere in Florida, the Walt Disney World Resort will not need to rely on sunny skies in one area for reliable solar energy. The addition will also make Disney World the largest commercial consumer of solar power in the state of Florida.

The two new solar arrays will be capable of producing more than 375,000 megawatt hours of energy in its first year, which is the equivalent of removing 29,500 vehicles from the road annually.

The Walt Disney Co. is the parent company of ABC News.

The Doobie Brothers add new dates to 50th Anniversary Tour

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

The Doobie Brothers will be takin’ it to even more streets on their current 50th Anniversary Tour — they’ve just added 11 new dates to the trek’s second leg.

Tickets for the new dates, which start September 2 in Bridgeport, CT and run through October 12 in Nashville, TN, go on sale April 8 at 10 a.m. local time via Live Nation. The new dates also include shows in Chicago, LA, Phoenix, Dallas and Sacramento. The Nashville date is the trek’s final stop.

The 50th Anniversary Tour features Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Pat Simmons and John McFee performing together for the first time in more than 25 years. Johnston says in a statement, “We are excited to play more shows in 2022 and will be coming back around to Nashville to wrap things up which is fitting as that’s where we first announced our 50th Anniversary Tour back in 2019.”

As previously reported, the Doobies will do an eight-show Las Vegas limited engagement at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino from May 13 through May 28. Tickets to those shows are available via Ticketmaster.com/DoobieBrothersVegas.

Biden calls Russia’s killings of Ukrainian civilians a war crime but not genocide

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — The killings of Ukrainian civilians committed by Russian forces in Ukraine is a war crime, President Joe Biden said Monday — repeating his accusation that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a “war criminal” who needs to be held “accountable.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of “genocide” on Sunday after hundreds of Ukrainian civilians were found killed in Bucha, a suburb of the capital Kyiv that was retaken by Ukrainian forces. Some of the civilians were buried in mass graves, while others were found dead in the street with their hands tied behind their backs.

The U.S. has stopped short of using the term “genocide” because of its strict legal definition and the heavy implications it carries.

“This guy is brutal and what’s happening with Bucha is outrageous. And everyone’s seeing it,” Biden said.

“We have to continue to provide Ukraine with the weapons they need to continue the fight, and we have to gather all the detail so this can be an actual — have a war crimes trial,” Biden told reporters Monday, but when asked if it were genocide, he said, “No, I think it is a war crime.”

Still, Biden’s call for for a possible war crimes trial raises the pressure on the international community’s response to Russia’s war, which has killed thousands and displaced more than 10 million people.

Biden said he would seek more sanctions against Putin and his government over the atrocities in Bucha, although it’s unclear if more economic pressure will do anything to bring an end to Putin’s campaign, which has shifted away from the Kyiv area to the south and east.

Senate Judiciary Committee to vote on Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court nomination

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, President Joe Biden’s first nominee to the Supreme Court, is expected to pass a major milestone Monday on her way to expected Senate confirmation later this week.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote Monday on whether to send Jackson’s nomination to the full Senate, setting up a final confirmation vote possibly on Friday.

While confirmation is nearly certain for Jackson, it’s unclear how many Republicans will cross the aisle to vote for her.

So far, only one, Maine’s Sen. Susan Collins, has said she would vote for Jackson — and Collins does not sit on the Judiciary Committee.

Ranking Member Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, announced after the committee kicked off its business Monday morning that he will vote no on Jackson’s nomination, paving the way for the 22-member, evenly-split committee to end in a tie vote.

An 11-11 tie will force Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to file a discharge motion to bring the nomination before the full Senate in order to get it out of committee. That motion comes with four hours of floor debate, where some Republicans are expected to try to slow down the process.

If Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska or Mitt Romney of Utah were to vote to advance Jackson’s nomination out of committee on the full floor vote, it may signal how they will vote later in the week when the Senate formally considers Jackson’s nomination to the high court.

But even without Republican support, Democrats have the power to push her nomination forward. The final vote, while bipartisan, will likely be narrower than what the White House had hoped for.

“What I know is she will get enough votes to get confirmed,” White House chief of staff Ron Klain told ABC News’ This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. “In the end, I suppose, that’s the only thing that matters. But I wish more Republicans would look at the case here, look at the record and vote to confirm Judge Jackson.”

With a two-week Easter in sight for senators, Democrats are hoping for a final vote before the weekend.

If confirmed, Jackson would be the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

Carrie Underwood, Old Dominion & more added to CMT Awards lineup

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Carrie Underwood and Old Dominion have been added to the star-studded lineup of performers at the CMT Awards, along with Mickey Guyton, who will team up with acclaimed soul band Black Pumas.

Carrie, who is the most decorated artist in CMT Awards history, will deliver a special performance from her Las Vegas residency, Reflection, at Resorts World Theatre, while Mickey and Black Pumas collaborate on a world premiere performance.

Additionally, after weeks of fans casting their votes, the Video of the Year nominees have been narrowed down to six: Jason Aldean and Carrie’s blockbuster hit, “If I Didn’t Love You”; “Forever After All,” by Luke Combs; “One Mississippi,” from the most nominated act of the night, Kane Brown; Kelsea Ballerini and Kenny Chesney‘s chart-topping duet, “Half of My Hometown”; Cody Johnson‘s first #1 single, “Til You Can’t”; and Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson‘s fiery collaboration, “Never Say Never.”

It was announced last week that The Judds will reunite on the CMT Awards for their first nationally televised performance in more than two decades to perform “Love Can Build a Bridge,” with Kacey Musgraves set to introduce them.

Kelsea will co-host the CMT Awards with actor Anthony Mackie, live from Nashville on April 11, airing at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

“We just have to adapt”: Selma Blair gets real on living with MS

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Actress Selma Blair opens up in the April/May issue of AARP The Magazine, and talks about living — and really living — with multiple sclerosis.

The former Cruel Intentions and Hellboy star first went public that she had MS in 2018, and has since become a role model for others living with the degenerative condition. Her trials and tribulations were chronicled in the documentary Introducing Selma Blair, and in her book, Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up.

Her MS not only informed the book’s content, but how it came together, Selma tells the magazine. “When I sat down to write Mean Baby after the prefrontal brain damage, it came out as if from the 8-year-old I was when I first wanted to write a book!” she laughs, calling that “beautiful.”

Selma also adds, “My mother was a harsh critic, and I always wanted her to edit my book. [When] she died of cancer…I felt such a profound sense of grief and loss. But when I started down the path of embracing life and writing about it, the documentary about me became very rooted in my mother, a love letter to her, as I try to let go.”

The magazine feature and the film spotlight Blair’s optimism, despite her illness. “I’ve always been a talker and prone to drama, so even if my voice falters or goes into a spasm, I talk through it — I’m learning not to give it a rest!” she declares.

Blair also adds, “I realized that if I’m lucky, I could reach 85, MS or not. Our abilities are always fleeting, but when they fail, it’s always treated as a tragedy. How do we enter a chaotic shift in our life without feeling it’s an end to something? We just have to adapt.”

Black Veil Brides “taking time away” from Trinity of Terror tour after Andy Biersack tests positive for COVID-19

April 4, 2022 by WDNY Radio

Black Veil Brides are “taking time away” from their Trinity of Terror triple-headlining tour with Motionless in White and Ice Nine Kills after frontman Andy Biersack tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement posted to Twitter Sunday afternoon, Biersack shared he “started to feel an awful sicknesses come on out of the blue” following BVB’s performance in Chicago the previous night.

“[I] developed a high fever and chills,” Biersack wrote. “Unfortunately after multiple tests it is clear that both me and several other members of the BVB touring crew have tested positive for COVID.”

He added, “For obvious reasons and out of an abundance of caution we will be taking time away from the tour until we are cleared to play again.”

The tour will continue as scheduled with Motionless in White, Ice Nine Kills and opener Lilith Czar still playing, though fans who had their hearts set on seeing Black Veil can request a refund at point of purchase.

“We are truly sorry for this awful situation and promise to make it up to any of you looking forward to seeing us as part of the TOT tour as soon as possible,” Biersack wrote. “Thank you for your understanding and we can’t wait to get back out onstage to sing with you all soon.”

BVB drummer Christian “CC” Coma previously tested positive for COVID-19. In his absence, the band played several acoustic shows.

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